Fans of NHL Teams: What is your team's most Heartbreaking moment in the playoffs?

[MichaelK]

As an Islanders fan, Dale Hunter.

 

[NyQuil]

Jeff Friesen in Game 7 2003 ECFs.

 

[mrzeigler]

David freaking Volek.

While that was like a knife in the heart when it happened , I think the moment in that series when Stevens was knocked unconscious and shattered his face ... that more than Volek felt like the end of that golden era. For me, that moment serves as a bright line between "unstoppable power forward Kevin Stevens" and "used to be a great power forward Kevin Stevens," and I think those two versions of him are a pretty good metaphor for the '90s Pens.

On one hand, I want to say Pens fans should count themselves lucky that our team has raised the cup five times ... but damn, had that the team won that year, three consecutive cups ... wow.

But had that happened, we'd never have enjoyed the pleasure of playing the "what if ..." game (and I do think it is fun, especially when you can console yourself with other championships). Plus, the butterfly effect of a third consecutive win could have had profound consequences regarding Howard Baldwin's ownership, the team's subsequent bankruptcy, Lemieux assuming ownership and the team being in a position to draft the guys who were instrumental in the team's three most recent cups.

 

[KingBran]

Years 1967-2018

Sincerely,
St. Louis Blues fans.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Years 1967-2018

Sincerely,
St. Louis Blues fans.

Keep the faith. This was the same response for every Caps fan up until last June (except starting in 1974).

 

[Terrier]

Bruins: the obvious answer is Too Many Men, but since I started watching them regularly as a kid in 1982, among the moments I experienced personally, it has to be the Petr Klima goal in 1990. I was sitting in balcony 98, right above the net. Boston's goose was pretty much cooked after that.

 

[gtrower]

For Caps (personally) I’d go with 2015 R2 G7 OT loss to NYR. Trotz has the guys absolutely humming. We were something crazy like 21-2-2 going into the playoffs. Up 3-1 in the series and 1-0 with a minute to go in G5. Felt like Ovi was finally gonna break through and take us to the Cup.

Alls well now, but that one was especially brutal for me at the time.

 

[slybel]

For the Bruins:

1) Too many men vs. Habs, 1979
2) 2 goals in 17 seconds vs. Hawks 2013

Oh man... I remember that Lafleur goal ! sorry.. hey!

 

[Pi]

It was 4-1.

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

When a scrub named Talbot haunted Detroit in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals - preventing a home Cup celebration in 2008 and then, well, Game 7 the next year.

 

[GoBuds14]

It was 4-1.

The only thing with that was everyone knew the Leafs had no chance to win the cup even if they won, that team wasn't very good. I'd go 1993 and 2004. I really thought that 2004 team had a real shot

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Dale Hunter on Pierre Turgeon

 

[StaalForOne]

For me it was the 5 OT loss . I remember staying awake for that whole game, just for that ending.

 

[ADD-devil950003]

As a little kid I was still scarred by Matteau’s wrap around in the ‘94 ECF. literally cringed anytime an opposing player would go for one on Marty for the next 2 decades haha. ‘94’s bad memories got washed away with Henrique’s goal in the 2012 ECF though. The one that still gets me is when the Canes made that crazy come back in the dying minutes of game 7 in 2009. I was not a good human being that night....

 

[Pi]

The only thing with that was everyone knew the Leafs had no chance to win the cup even if they won, that team wasn't very good. I'd go 1993 and 2004. I really thought that 2004 team had a real shot

True. The loss in Game 7 is partly the reason we were fully able to rebuild because Nonis went mad after that loss and thought the Leafs were close. Signed guys like David Clarkson to massive deals and it blew up in his face and finally MLSE gave the green light to Shanahan when he came on board to do a full rebuild.

 

[Kelly]

It was 4-1.

/leafs fan

 

[mrzeigler]

When a scrub named Talbot haunted Detroit in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals - preventing a home Cup celebration in 2008 and then, well, Game 7 the next year.

As someone who got to see your team raise the cup in person, I wasn't exactly thrilled that you guys didn't win it on your home ice, either.

And from a historic perspective, neither am I thrilled that my wife rushed us out of the arena when it happened. Since my guys have a thing against winning it at home, it might end up being the only time I ever have the opportunity to see a team raise the cup in person.

 

[Prince Pasta]

As a Bruins Fan, 3-0 against the flyers means didly to me since the next year they swept that team out with gusto en-route to the cup. 3-1 against Montreal has always been a low point (Richard Zednik's goal was hard to swallow in game 7 at home, getting shut out)

Scotty Walker game 7 OT, thought we'd win that one after coming back from 3-1, 17 seconds hurts obviously, mostly though its daugavins missing the open net in Game 1 (considering we won the next two games)

Not NHL related, but I was super bummed in 2010 for the gold medal game

 

[BonMorrison]

As soon as that bounce went off the backboards directly to former Predator Patric Hornqvist with 90 seconds to go I pretty much knew what would happen next. There was no chance a tying goal would happen after that deflating feeling.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

David Volek for sure.
I couldn't believe it when we came back and tied the game and said to myself no way they're losing now, planning the next round and beating the shit out of the Habs in going for 3 consecutive Cups, but no, a horrible performance once again by none other then Tom f***ing Barrasso!!

 

[easton117]

As a Bruins Fan, 3-0 against the flyers means didly to me since the next year they swept that team out with gusto en-route to the cup. 3-1 against Montreal has always been a low point (Richard Zednik's goal was hard to swallow in game 7 at home, getting shut out)

Scotty Walker game 7 OT, thought we'd win that one after coming back from 3-1, 17 seconds hurts obviously, mostly though its daugavins missing the open net in Game 1 (considering we won the next two games)

Not NHL related, but I was super bummed in 2010 for the gold medal game

Lol the only thing missing from that Carolina series was Scotty Walker slapping a dog collar on Aaron Ward and dragging him naked across the ice after scoring the winner.

Scott f***ing Walker. That Bruins team should’ve won the cup that year.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Game 1 of the finals against Pittsburgh in 1992.
Hawks blew a 4-1 lead.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

2011 game 7 against the Bruins was probably my first heartbreak as a true hockey fan.

Losing to Chicago in the finals was probably the worst, but the Penguins and Caps game 7 losses hurt almost as badly.

 

[Super Fadio Bro]

When a scrub named Talbot haunted Detroit in consecutive Stanley Cup Finals - preventing a home Cup celebration in 2008 and then, well, Game 7 the next year.

I was about to say that man’s name.

Even 10 years later, saying his name piss me off.

 

[Svechhammer]

2002 Stanley Cup Finals Game 3.

Detroit scores to tie it up with 90 seconds left in regulation. Goes to triple f***ing overtime before Larionov scores. Wings take a 2-1 lead in the series and the Canes are completely deflated physically and emotionally and lose the next 2 pretty easily (3-0 and 3-1) with nothing left in the tank.

Its one of those games where the winner was likely going to win the series once it went to that level of OT.